Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

As we come to late winter and get the first glimpses of spring, it’s a time of promise and renewed optimism for our gardens, and, perhaps, the greater world beyond them too. There is something about getting organised for the growing year – tidying up the shed and the garden, preparing tools and sorting out the seed selection – that lifts the spirits and kick-starts a sense of hope about the future. To inspire you further, this issue we are celebrating the best of the season, with visits to the private garden of renowned nurserywoman Elizabeth Strangman, whose spring selection includes her collection of self-bred hellebores (page 34); the plot of a snowdrop enthusiast who likes to grow her Galanthus ‘free range’ in her garden (page 76); and Woottens of…

Seeing the white Shepton Mallet, the Somerset town that was once home to the Victorian galanthophile James Allen (known as the Snowdrop King), is once again celebrating the tiny snowdrop. This year’s Shepton Snowdrop Festival, 19-20 February, promises an exciting programme of events, including kokedama-making and winter foraging workshops, specialist sales of snowdrops and spring plants, and much more. sheptonsnowdrops.org.uk Dahlia collection rehomed With the help of 30 friends, family and fellow dahlia lovers, horticulturist and garden writer Louise Danks has saved Cornwall’s famous National Dahlia Collection and given it a new home. Louise had previously worked at Varfell Farm near Penzance, where the collection had been held for more than 20 years. She was determined to rescue the dahlias when the farm announced in 2020 that it could no…

Be sure to check opening times and travel restrictions. Many garden visits will need to be pre-booked. Colesbourne Gardens in Gloucestershire is one of the best places to see snowdrops in the UK, with more than 300 species and cultivars displayed in ten acres of beautiful garden. Many fine cultivars have been selected here, including Galanthus ‘George Elwes’ and G. ‘Lord Lieutenant’, and the garden also has fine colony of G. ‘S. Arnott’, donated by Mr Arnott himself, the sight of which can turn anyone into a galanthophile. Set within a 2,500-acre estate in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, the garden and landscape is stunning at any time of year and the arboretum, originally planted in the 1890s by owner-botanist Henry John Elwes, has a fascinating collection boasting 11 champion trees.…

Mistakes are good, you often learn more from them; incredible combinations only happen if you experiment First plant love The humble apple tree. My grandparents had some old, gnarly, lichen-covered apple trees in their back garden that were beautiful. My sisters and I would always be playing in among those trees. Who has inspired your career the most? My dad, Len. Whether it was collecting leaves with him on an autumnal day, having a blazing bonfire to keep warm on a winter morning or eating the first tomatoes of the season. Who are your horticultural heroes? While I hugely admire and take much inspiration from such people as Fergus Garrett, Dan Pearson and Elliott Forsyth, my true heroes are the lecturers and staff at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, who nurtured…

1 Helleborus x hybridus Picotee Group Over the years, Elizabeth has established relatively stable hellebore breeding lines through her technique of hand-pollinating plants in the open ground without the risk of crossing. Of all her selections, she is proudest of her picotees – defined by a distinct dark edge to the sepals, often with prominent veining. 70cm. RHS H7† . 2 Helleborus x hybridus yellow One of Elizabeth’s purest yellows. By back-crossing yellower forms of H. odorus with H. x hybridus, she has succeeded in producing some excellent yellows with red hearts and golden nectaries. 70cm. RHS H7. 3 Helleborus x hybridus ‘Queen of the Night’ A rich purple-black selection. Elizabeth used some dark wild forms but her early selections used cultivated plants as parents. Eric Smith’s H. x hybridus…

1 Primula auricula ‘Devons Road’ A Fancy type of auricula, technically the rejects of auricula breeding (those that didn’t fit in with the stringent rules of the other groups were categorised as Fancy). It has a purple body and a thick white edge, and was bred by Henry Pugh in 2006. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b† . 2 Primula auricula ‘Woottens Ragged Canary’ Another Fancy type, this one bred by Woottens in 2008. Lightly fragrant, it has attractive multi-coloured flowers that are yellow with a green edge. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b. 3 Primula auricula ‘Arwen’ A plum-red cultivar that belongs to the light-centred alpine group that are strong growers and well-suited to growing in open borders. Petals fade from a dark colour to a lighter shade. One of a…

You suddenly notice them, after the long, drab months of winter: the small dots of purple crocus appearing, scattered through the grass. Crocus tommasinianus is one of the first of the spring crocuses to flower. Grown en masse, these purple flowers, affectionately known as Tommies, signal that spring is finally underway. They emerge as narrow flask-like buds, often with a pale silvery-lilac back, but when the sun shines, they open wide, basking in the rare warmth and displaying purple blooms with golden anthers at their centre. Flowering in autumn or spring, crocuses grow from a small corm, with narrow leaves that have a pale stripe along the length of the upper surface. The leaves of spring-f lowering species appear at the same time as the f lowers. They die back…

150 GARDENS YOU NEED TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE by Stefanie Waldek, Lannoo Publishers, £27.50 ISBN 978-9401479295 A ‘bucket-list’ guide to must-see, beautiful gardens all over the world, from Kew to Giverny, written by an architectural and travel writer. DAHLIAS: A LITTLE BOOK OF FLOWERS by Tara Austen Weaver and Emily Poole, Sasquatch Books, £11.99 ISBN 978-1632173614 Described as a love letter to the dahlia, this little tome is a cheerleader for the genus, with original botanical illustrations. TAKE IT OUTSIDE: A GUIDE TO DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL SPACES JUST BEYOND YOUR DOOR by Melissa Brasier, James DeSantis and Garrett Magee, Random House, £27.50, ISBN 978-0593139424 American ‘plantfluencers’ on applying interior design principles to outdoor spaces. THE GREEN PLANET: THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS by Simon Barnes, BBC Books, £25 ISBN 978-1785945533…

Tom Coward Tom begins his new series of monthly plant suggestions, page 24. “I have tried to select a variety of plants showing how we garden at Gravetye Manor. I hope you enjoy them.” Mary Keen Mary learns about auriculas, page 40. “I have loved and grown auriculas for years, so it was pure pleasure to write about the Woottens’ collection of my favourite flowers.” Sabrina Rothe Sabrina photographs galanthophile Anne Repnow’s garden, page 76. “Early bloomers and evergreens are perfectly assembled. A beautiful mix of delicate spring colours with the white heads of snowdrops.”…

1 Planting for Plantaholics Join landscape designer Peter Thurman for a talk on planting schemes for those who love to evolve their planting with new purchases. 8 February, 10.30am-1.30pm. £65 (RHS members £50). RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. lcgd.org.uk 2 Oil Pastel Flower Drawing Take part in an hour-long, online oil pastel flower drawing class from the comfort of your home. Run by florist Ellie Jauncey and artist Molly Martin, this is a fun and relaxing drawing class designed to loosen you up and guide you through some basic drawing techniques. 8 February, 8-9pm. £12.50. stillflowerdrawing.com 3 Hen Keeping for Beginners Discover how to get started in keeping hens on this talk at Daylesford Organic that will cover hen-keeping basics including choosing hens, setting up a…

It was a great loss to British horticulture when in 1999, Elizabeth Strangman closed the doors of Washfield Nursery in Kent. In the 30 or so years after taking over from Hilda Davenport-Jones in 1968, she established Washfield as one of the finest perennial nurseries in the country, with a particular focus on the breeding of hellebores. Although it was a difficult decision for Elizabeth to close the nursery, she never stopped gardening. Many plants moved with her to a new home in East Sussex, where she bought a Grade II-listed cottage, its timber frame dating back to the 15th century. This characterful house provides a satisfying backdrop to the garden that she has tended for the past 20 years – a garden where her skill and knowledge reveals itself…

1 Pulmonaria ‘Roy Davidson’ An excellent and vigorous lungwort with masses of pale, almost milky-blue flowers and mottled leaves. American gardener Roy Davidson produced this seedling of Elizabeth’s P. longifolia ‘Bertram Anderson’. 30cm. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. 2 Trillium kurabayashii One of the most dramatic toad lilies, this California native is similar to T. sessile but with larger, darker flowers and beautifully mottled foliage. 60cm. RHS H4. 3 Narcissus ‘Jenny’ A delicate cyclamineus type daffodil with typically reflexed petals that emerge pale yellow but fade to a milky white and surround a lemon-yellow trumpet. Small but sturdy. Flowers in March to April. 20cm. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. 4 Pulmonaria saccharata ‘Leopard’ This lungwort, a Mediterranean native, was discovered and named by the late great plantsman Graham Stuart Thomas, who…

The only way to reproduce an auricula true to its parent is by taking offsets from that parent. You can do this at any time while the plant is actively growing, but it is probably best to take offsets after flowering, while repotting. • Begin by removing all the old compost from the roots thoroughly, and cleaning if there are any signs of pest or disease. • Split the clumps if necessary or desired and repot. Any offsets can be easily teased off the main root (known on auriculas as the ‘carrot’) and potted up. Always make sure you have a section of both root and leaf to make a viable new plant. • After division, pot into 7-9cm pots and feed the young plants with a high-phosphate feed to…

• Every garden has room for a few crocuses. They are small plants that die down early, leaving space for later-growing plants in a border. • The main requirements for most species are a sunny position and soil that isn’t waterlogged, but some, such as C. angustifolius, need good drainage. • Plant the corms in autumn, under deciduous shrubs, around trees, among herbaceous perennials or in a container. • The corms should be planted around 5-7cm deep. The large corms of the Dutch hybrids can be planted even deeper. They have a papery or fibrous coat, called the tunic, and at the top is a small point. Place the corms pointed end up. • If you grow them in a lawn, you can dig individual holes for each one and…

CARIEN VAN BOXTEL Carien is a garden and landscape designer from the Netherlands who is known for her designs using bulb displays. 1 Dahlia ‘Josie’ A lovely anemone dahlia that was bred in the Netherlands but is now a Sarah Raven exclusive, and named by Sarah after her lovely head gardener Josie Lewis. Perfect for containers, it flowers early in the season and its (semi) single flowers are a wonderful bright orange and attractive to pollinators. 60-70cm. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b† . 2 Gladiolus papilio A true species with big showy flowers that is very popular as a border plant. The papilio hybrid ‘David Hills’ has hints of red, yellow and apricot, but the true species is the most spectacular with its strangely beautiful hues of mauve, salmon, purple and…

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James Basson James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design, a practice specialising in low-maintenance and dry gardens. He is a fervent advocate for creating sustainable landscapes. The winner of four Chelsea Gold medals, he was awarded Best in Show in 2017. Fergus Garrett Fergus was appointed head gardener at Great Dixter by Christopher Lloyd in 1993. He is passionate about passing on his knowledge through student programmes at Dixter and worldwide lectures. He was awarded an RHS Associate of Honour in 2008 and an RHS Victoria Medal of Honour in 2019. Anna Pavord Anna’s books include her bestseller The Tulip and most recently Landskipping. For 30 years she was The Independent’s gardening correspondent. In 2000 the RHS awarded her the Veitch Memorial Medal. She lives…

CAMELLIA X WILLIAMSII ‘FRANCIS HANGER’ The C. japonica x C. saluenensis hybrids have produced perhaps some of the most robust and versatile camellias. This is an especially lovely cultivar, named after a former curator at RHS Garden Wisley, who raised the plant in 1946. The growth habit is quite erect. Its single, pure-white blooms are 8cm across and seem completely resilient to the harshest of winters. Prefers a wooded site with light shade, where the plants are sheltered and flowers protected from sun damage on frosty mornings. AGM*. Height and spread 3m x 2.5m. Origin Garden (species China, Japan, Korea). Conditions Acid to neutral soil; part shade and best in a sheltered position. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 8a-10b† . Season of interest November – May. PARROTIA PERSICA A small spreading…

Check around the base of fruit bushes for weeds. The ground around them should be clear to the drip line – that is, the outer edge of the plant’s canopy. Plants that have been overwintering under glass can be brought out on milder days to enjoy some fresh air. This will help to stimulate growth and reduce the risk of pests and diseases. Generally, the harder a plant is grown, the healthier it tends to be. Depending on the weather, you may be able to start sowing seed. I start at the highest point of the garden, where the sun hits and a good solid yew hedge provides a bit of shelter. Provided it is not too wet or cold, I will start sowing broad beans, beetroot and parsnips directly…

What Private garden of renowned nurserywoman and hellebore breeder Elizabeth Strangman. Where East Sussex. Size Quarter of an acre. Soil Alluvial, improved with mushroom compost and well-rotted manure. Climate Sits in a frost pocket. Hardiness zone USDA 9. Facing page In early spring, Elizabeth’s garden is a sea of Crocus tommasinianus and Cyclamen coum punctuated with snowdrops. Later-flowering spring bulbs, including Narcissus, Erythronium, Fritillaria and Corydalis, follow to create a tapestry that fluctuates throughout the season under the hanging canopy of hellebores. These are mostly seed-raised H. x hybridus, which hold colour and form for months. Above Elizabeth developed her strains of hybrid hellebores over her 30 or so years of careful selection at Washfield Nursery. Some of these plants migrated with her to this garden, where she dutifully maintains…

It was a Saturday morning outing with his mother in the 1960s to the Birkenhead branch of Woolworths, to buy six packets of sweet pea seeds, that would mark the start of Roger Parsons’ life-long association with the flower. He didn’t know it at the time, but those seeds would lead him on the path to becoming one of the world’s foremost sweet pea experts, co-author of an authoritative monograph, a plant breeder and the passionate guardian of a sweet pea seed bank. “From the age of ten or so, I was sort of in charge of the garden whether I wanted to be or not,” he says. “Even at quite a young age, I was fascinated that I could grow plants from seed. Growing up in an urban environment,…

It was a freezing cold day in February 2010 when German garden designer Anne Repnow bought the plant that was to change her life. On a visit to her brother in Aachen, she persuaded him to go along to a relatively new snowdrop festival in nearby Nettetal that had been making headlines. “It was sub-zero and blowing a blizzard, and there were all these tiny plants, some of them over ›100,” she says. “I couldn’t really see what all the fuss was about.” Nevertheless, she bought Galanthus ‘Ailwyn’, a double cultivar, for a not-insubstantial ›30, and planted it in her garden in a village near Heidelberg. “Galanthus ‘Ailwyn’ is quite an early flowerer, and it came up strongly the following January,” says Anne. “Because it’s so full, it’s open all…

GARDEN FOR THE SENSES: HOW YOUR GARDEN CAN SOOTHE YOUR MIND AND AWAKEN YOUR SOUL by Kendra Wilson Dorling Kindersley Ltd, £12.99 ISBN 978-0241531389 A much-needed celebration of the senses, this guide encourages us all to tune in, find joy and better connect to our gardens. Reviewer Charlie Harpur is a plantsman and designer. More than ever in the past two years, perhaps, gardens have drawn our increasingly lockdown-wearied and climate-concerned population out of doors in search of rejuvenation and a better connection with the natural world. But how can they give us what we need? Whether we are new gardeners getting to grips with our outdoor space for the first time, or seasoned horticulturists looking to reassess how we experience gardens and gardening, writer Kendra Wilson (also the author…

In February, the mountainous state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico is balmy and floriferous, bursting with the nation’s highest concentration of flora and fauna – in a country that is already one of the world’s most biodiverse. Oaxaca is a hotspot for traditional food and craft, showcased in street markets and informed by the region’s many indigenous people. Ethnobotany 101 Behind the early colonial-era Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and its lively square (the Zócalo) in Oaxaca city, sits the Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca, a calm couple of acres and a must-see for anyone even thinking of going to Mexico. Besides highlighting the extraordinarily rich endemic plant life of the region and its inter-relationship with indigenous tradition, the garden, a former monastic orchard, was rescued and designed by the…